Library and Information Services Management (Distance Learning) MA PG Certificate PG Diploma

Program Overview

This part-time, distance learning program in Library and Information Services Management provides the knowledge and skills needed for a career in this fast-changing sector. Students learn core competencies in IT, management, and information handling, along with a range of specialisms. Graduates are prepared for professional roles in libraries, information services, and other organizations across various sectors.

Program Outline

Library and Information Services Management (Distance Learning) MA PG Certificate PG Diploma | 2024 | Postgraduate

Degree Overview:

This course will introduce you to the best current thinking and practice, and equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to enter this fast-developing sector. You'll learn core competencies in IT, management and information handling, together with a wide range of specialisms. You'll be prepared for a professional role in areas ranging from public service to business.

Outline:

Program Content:

• This course covers core competencies in IT, management, and information handling, along with a range of specialisms.
• It focuses on the skills needed to identify, control, organize, and make accessible information in various formats.
• The program prepares students for professional roles in libraries and information services across different sectors.

Program Structure:

• The program offers MA, PG Certificate, and PG Diploma awards.
• The MA requires 180 credits, including 90 credits from core modules, 30 credits from optional modules, and a dissertation (including dissertation preparation) worth 60 credits.
• The PG Certificate requires 60 credits.
• The PG Diploma requires 120 credits.

Course Schedule:

• The program is delivered part-time by distance learning.
• The duration is 2 years part-time or 3 years part-time.
• The dissertation is completed after teaching ends, in the final year of the course.
They will learn about changes in the information environment, including the impact of new media. Learning will take place through online discussion and interaction, through viewing and reading learning materials and through assessments which develop students understanding and capabilities. (15 credits) Students are introduced to current practices and contemporary concerns in academic, national, public and special/workplace libraries and encouraged to develop an awareness of the social, economic, political and cultural environment in which LIS operates. It examines the importance of users in the design and management of LIS, explores ethical issues and aims to develop a critical awareness of the role of LIS in contemporary society. (15 credits)
• Leadership, Strategy and Change (distance learning): This module aims to support students in the development of a range of management and leadership skills.
Students will develop an understanding of different leadership and wider management theories and techniques, and will be able to evaluate their application and usefulness in a library and information services management context, in a variety of organisational settings. Topics will include leadership and management, strategic management, change management, project management, human resource management, team-working and conflict management, financial management, marketing and branding, business process management and service evaluation. Students will gain knowledge and understanding of all these topics within library and information environments and will gain a wide understanding of key LIS management issues and challenges. (15 credits) A critical, evaluative and theoretical approach is adopted to ensure the modules learning outcomes transfer to students future studies and careers. (15 credits)
• Information and Knowledge Management (distance learning): This module will examine principles and practices of information and knowledge management in the health sector.
It will identify the different types of information and knowledge resources typically found in healthcare organisations and investigate methods used to generate, organise and exploit these assets. Real-world case studies will be used to illustrate and critique contemporary approaches to the design and implementation of information and knowledge audits, policies, strategies, products and services. (15 credits)
• Personal and Professional Development Portfolio (distance learning): This module aims to support students in their personal and professional development and career planning.
It is a 'capstone module' of the LISM programme, enabling students to draw together the skills and knowledge they have gained throughout the programme and reflect on how this can be applied to their professional practice. Students will develop skills in reflective practice, and understand how to assess and evaluate their own skills and attributes as they move to the next stage of their careers. They will be able to evaluate the professional environment, and the contributions they make within that professional context. Students will be encouraged to reflect on their own professional identity and develop personal and professional goals for the future. Topics will include reflective practice, professional awareness, career planning, and various types of continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities (15 credits)
• Research Methods and Dissertation Preparation (distance learning): AIMS: to assist students in the identification of, and preparation of a dissertation proposal and to prepare the initial literature search for the chosen dissertation research topic.
OBJECTIVES: Students will: become aware of ongoing research in the department; identify and prepare a dissertation proposal; carry out a preliminary literature search in the area of the dissertation research topic; be introduced to the use of social research methods and statistics for information management; start to collect data, compile questionnaires, etc. on the basis of discussions with their supervisor. (15 credits) Students will be supported through tutorials with a project supervisor, apply research methods appropriate to their topic, and implement their work-plan to produce an individual project report. Students will already have identified a suitable topic and designed a project plan in the pre-requisite unit Research Methods and Dissertation Preparation. (45 credits)

Optional Modules:

• Academic and Workplace Library, Information and Knowledge Services (distance learning): This module introduces students to the purposes, functions and practices of a range of academic, research and other specialist library, information and knowledge services in educational, public, charitable, and private sectors.
It considers the challenges of delivering and developing services in a demanding, fast-moving and complex environment. Lectures are combined with sector-based case studies presented by visiting speakers drawn from various backgrounds giving extensive opportunities for interaction with specialist practitioners. (15 credits)
• Database Design and Data Management (distance learning): Effective data management is key to any organisation, particularly with the increasing availability of large and heterogeneous datasets (e.g.
transactional, multimedia and geo-spatial data). A database is an organised collection of data, typically describing the activities of one or more organisations and a core component of modern information systems. A Database Management System (DBMS) is software designed to assist in maintaining and utilising large collections of data and becoming a necessity for all organisations. Lectures are structured into three main areas: (1) an introduction to databases, (2) the process of designing relational databases, and (3) advanced topics (e.g. data warehouses and non-relational databases). (15 credits)
• Public, School, and Prison Library Services (distance learning): This module will enable students to understand and critically evaluate key elements of the principles, functions, practice, value and impact of school, and public and prison library services.
Students will be introduced to key professional skills required to work in these sectors, including reader development, design library spaces and advocating for library services. Recent and ongoing research will underpin the entire unit. (15 credits) value, risk, accountability, ownership, privacy etc. Case examples from a number of domains, e.g. business, government, health, law, and social media illustrate the topics investigated. (15 credits)

Assessment:

• Assessments vary depending on the modules you choose but may include essays, briefing papers, reflective reports and portfolios, creation of a database and other relevant assessments.
• There is a dissertation of 10–15,000 words, which provides the opportunity, under one-to-one supervision, to focus in depth on a topic of your choice.
• Students are taught via the University’s Virtual Learning Environment and specialised distance-learning software, which delivers lectures, seminars and tutorials online in real-time.
• Recordings are available for students who cannot attend live sessions.
• Students can participate asynchronously in discussions using online fora.
• Students are recommended to spend 10 hours a week, per module, for the 12 timetabled weeks and for the weeks leading up to and following teaching.
• Students have the support of a personal tutor and module coordinators.
• Peer support through student-led discussions and interaction is also encouraged.

Careers:

• A postgraduate qualification in library management is essential for many roles in the library and information profession.
• The Library and Information Services Management course has been designed for people who want to enter the profession or who are preparing to take the next step up in their careers.
• Graduates from this course will be equipped with the skills that are needed for the developing role of the library and information professional in organisations today.
• Examples of organisations that have employed graduates include:
• Various further and higher education institutions in the UK
• Independent schools in the UK and internationally
• Public libraries in the UK
• Health organisations including various NHS Trusts
• County councils in the UK
• The Royal Horticultural Society
• Graduates are employed in roles such as:
• Librarian
• School librarian
• Learning support assistant
• Learning and teaching librarian
Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.
• The MA and PG Diploma awards are CILIP accredited.
• CILIP is the UK’s library and information association.
• The school has been at the forefront of developments in the information field for more than fifty years.
• The subject is characterised by its distinctive, interdisciplinary focus on the interactions between people, information and digital technologies.
• The school prides itself on the friendliness and helpfulness of its staff.
• The school offers an outstanding academic education through a wide range of taught postgraduate degrees which embed the principles of research-led teaching.
• Students will develop a critical understanding of current issues in library and information management.
• Students will benefit from being taught by staff who are undertaking leading-edge research and who have many links with industry.
• The school aims to inspire and help students pursue their highest ambitions for their academic and professional careers.

Two-year MA Home (2024 annual fee) : £6,035 each year Overseas (2024 annual fee) : £6,035 each year Three-year MA Home (2024 annual fee) : £4,023 each year Overseas (2024 annual fee) : £4,023 each year